Aesculus parviflora Walter

Bottlebrush Buckeye

© SRTurner

Family - Sapindaceae

Habit - Shrub, strongly suckering from rhizomes.

Stems - Ascending or erect, multiple from base, woody, branching, to 5 m. Young growth often reddish-green, glabrous.

	Stem and node.
© SRTurner

	Bark of a mature tree.
© DETenaglia

	Winter buds.
© DETenaglia

	Leaf scar.
© DETenaglia

Leaves - Opposite, long-petiolate, palmately compound with 5 leaflets. Leaflets oval to obovate, acute, to 10 cm long and 5 cm broad, the margins finely serrate, the upper surface glabrous or nearly so, the lower surface glabrous to moderately pubescent. Petioles reddish, glabrous to sparsely pubescent, to 15 cm long.

	Leaf.
© SRTurner

	Base of leaflets.
© SRTurner

	Leaflet, abaxial.
© SRTurner

	Leaflet, adaxial.
© SRTurner

Inflorescences - Long terminal panicles to 30 cm. Axis sparsely pubescent. Pedicels to 7 mm long, pubescent.

	Inflorescence (partial).
© SRTurner

Flowers - Calyx 5-lobed, creamy white. Calyx tube to 5 mm long, 2-3 mm in diameter, pubescent. Lobes subequal, 2 mm long, reddish at apex, rounded. Petals 4, equal, clawed, white, glabrous, rugose internally, to 1.6 cm long, 3-4 mm broad at apex, typically notched at apex. Stamens 6, strongly exserted. Filaments white, to 4 cm long, glabrous. Anthers red, 2.5 mm long, 1.2 mm broad. Style 6 mm long, pubescent.

	Flowers.
© SRTurner

	Calyces.
© SRTurner

	Corollas, consisting of 4 white petals.
© SRTurner

	Single flower. Stamens are long exserted and 2-4 times as long as petals.
© SRTurner

Fruit - Shiny, smooth capsule, longer than broad, with 1-3 seeds. Missouri plants rarely produce fruits.

Flowering - June - September.

Habitat - Mesic forests. Cultivated.

Origin - Native to southeastern U.S.

Lookalikes - Other buckeyes, such as A. glabra.

Other info. - This plant is primarily found in Alabama but is rare elsewhere, except in cultivation. In Missouri the only population reported outside of direct cultivation is at Shaw Nature Reserve, where a single colony of well-naturalized plants have continued to flourish for years. This population undoubtedly persists from a deliberate cultivation event at some point in the past. The species is a popular ornamental because of the many long, attractive panicles it produces in flower. A large colony can be a striking sight when in full flower. As with all members of the genus, its seeds are toxic. The flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

A. parviflora can be distinguished from other buckeyes by its very long stamens, which are typically 2-4 times as long as the petals. The four petals are pure white, without other markings.

Photographs taken at the Kansas City Zoo, 7-10-99 and 7-13-00, in Auburn, AL., 3-6-05, and in the Red Hills of Alabama, 6-4-05; also at Shaw Nature Reserve, Franklin County, MO, 6-18-2011, 6-30-2017 and 6-30-2021 (SRTurner).